Asparagus grader and cutter



Aug. 23, 1932. s. H. cl-hexMPLlN ET AL v 1,872,889-

ASPARAGUS GRADER AND CUTTER Filed Aug. 27, 1929 2 sheets-sheet l\INVENTOR5 SILAS .C MPL PARKE A. TTE FERDINAND ITAST'ENA BY PAU/ c.BurrE.

Aug. 23, 19.32. 5 H CHAMPUN ET AL l 1,872,889

SPARAGUS GRADER AND GUTTER Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 27, 1929 INI/ENTORSs/LAs H cfmMpL/N. PQR/fsf? H. CUTTER. FERDINAND KASTEM PAU/ c. BUTTEATTORNEYS.

Patented Aug. 23, 1932 UNITED Sinfr-ti's PATENT sitas H. CHAMP-LIN,PARKER A. comm-Ea, FERDINAND KAsTn'N ANDY-PAUL anu-Trie; or sANFRANCISCO, eAL1FonNIA,-Assre1vons,ToeonnnN snare` nsranaefustoot,

asumidas Gemma' itat dettata j Application 'iiltr Augusta?, 1929.lserial "No, '388,727.

, This invention relates to apparatus' `for grading and 'cuttingasparagusrstalks'pre* parator'y to canning the same and has 'fori' itsobjects improvements 4in this 'type 'of-appa'- ffratus whereby theeffectiveness thereof is greatly enhanced. i

In the drawings accompanyingthis-application F ig. g1 is a longitudinalelevation of the completerapparatus. Y

Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross -'sectijonof a portion of the apparatus asseen from the line 2;?, of Fig. l. Y

Fig. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal section of a portion ofthecooperating conveyors lwhioh carry the grass passed the automaticgrading and cutting devices. j

F ig. 4 is lan enlarged vert-icallsection voifa` portion of theapparatus as seenv from theline L -4+. oi" lig. li l Y F ig. 5 is afragmentary-view, partly" in; sec tion, taken along the line 5'--5(flig.45 'and shows the relation `to the cutter bladeand grading Engen F ig. 6is a side view offFi'g. fbutshowstheA '25- knife descended and the cutasparagus kickedoif by the action ofthe blade.

Fig. 771sa view of the opposite-side of a` portion of Fig showingthegradinglinger index or setting device;

539' 'Fig 8 is a detached View ofthe finger shaft assembly'- torevealits construction which adapts itiorV setting for: any desireddiameter ofasparagus. Figs. 9` and l0 show a conveyor.

VBriefly described the invention comprises special cooperating `endlessconveyors or carrying the spears of grass alongfin spacedurelation,nieans for feedingthe grass-and;

" aligning it on the conveyors `and electrically controlled gradinglingers and 'guillotinelike knives which'are tripped bythe action-'ofthegrader fingers to instantly cut the graded spears andikick them fromtheconveyors; the various sizesbeing received respectively '1n differentchutesto conductthern where de-A sired for further canning operations. y1 In Fig. l'there are two principalfcoriveyors suitably supportedonwlieelsjindicated on a modifiedI forni bf 1 and 2 of thehorizontalfendle'ss chaintype frame-Worlesand driven by 'suitableehainber other gearing from a motor 4 or other source' ofgpewer allAinthel well 'understoodrnannen lQenveyor l is continuously supported fortravel? alongi-ts uppergrun by gu'desertraeks* fandf carries a pluralityof transversely lex; tending vrollers 6' sospaced' that lspearsg-ef as@vparagus 7 `deposited thereon vv-lllndt "fait through. The rollersev-ariefalsolproyded. withvv gaps S5 8 lso asto provide {spaces-dorfentryef the"buckets or? chairs'lQyQ'of-conveyor2. i Y

lC'onveycrlais supported @n gui'deertrack l-andfcarries spaced blocks9529- orned on top with :bucket-shaped or .crescent -depres-f' sions llsomewhat' higher.atl their rear fands asat 12 `seas to Lorrn chairs tor'eceivefeac-li one spear effaspara'gusi f Chairs 49519" are ofalengthtol-iit easily into gaps 8, 8 of lrollers-6'andalsofflofjf-awidth to A iit1freely Abetween the red'uccd4pertions"6"`"of adjacent-rollers,- ar'rd offa 'height Y to lift Vtheasparagus spears elearre/in the rollersvvhen'lbreught up trombelovt asindi;- cated in'fF-ig. 8.-' Y i -A The guiding supp 'rt `for'@conveyor'lisgradually slanted upward t'oward-"confw'feyor 1 atzthe leftV handlend sorthat Y the vvchairs Awill falli intoplacefi'n accordance withFiga-3 and affter traveling along paralleli withiycnveg@ l' for-a-1distance to accjoininod-atey1 thegrading and cutting mechanism', isgradually lovinered to withdraw the'- chairs t at 'fthe right#- elevatedhopper' 13E rom'vvhichfthe asparagus spears a'rei'ed4 toa short feederslatconve'yor' 14 which is conveniently drivenby vsuitable chain brothergearingf'as indicated'fatl 122i from conveyor Vl and which feederconveyor' overlies'the'upper `horicontalfrun of cenveyor' 1` 'anddeposits v'the spears gef* grass' oneA by one between the rollers 6-after first striking a swinging Vretsncder plate l5 pivotedif-atitsuppe'rfend 'at ltto lsuitable"framing` IZ; Y

At' the fforwardf edgeoffteeder e'enveyorflt is a vertical board-or'plate '1.8 "against w chf an attendant gently pushes @heap-efV :each

spear-'offgrass as .it cornes i tilting/andi *after the spearsareldeposited between-the 'C rollers -1 6 of conveyor 1 they pass tipsagainst a horizontally revolving aligning roller 19 geared to theconveyor as indicated at 20, 21 so as top.

travel at or about the same surface speed therewith, and whichwheelgently but positively aligns the tips of the grass accurately beforegrading and cutting.

Mounted above the horizontal-run of the two intermeshed yconveyors areany number ,20V 30,50 that it may be adjusted longitudinally withrespect tothe particularsize spears of grass it is Vtofwork on dependingon the Y lengths of spears desired, andeach mechanism includes aguillotine knife blade 3 1 arranged to descend vertically to cut thespear of grass and in so doing enter anyone of several notches 32extending transversely of the chairs in the upper edge thereof as bestshown in Fig. 6, and which notches are wide enough to provide room for alkicking action y of the blade in ej'ecting the tip end of the spearlaterally immediatelyy upon cutting the same. Y The'. butt lend 7 fofthe spear is d ischarged at the end of the conveyor.

The descent of the knife is effected electrically and isgcontrolled bythevr-movement of a size grading linger 33 which rides each spear ofgrass coming along on the conveyor chairs and which closes a circuitupon being lifted by avsizespearV for which is set` to actuate ltheknife. v t Y The construction lof these parts is shown in Figs. 4 to 7,and in which the yknife is mounted on a carriage 34 pivoted at 35 to avertically moving plunger rod 36 so that the knife can swingtransversely of its edge from i the vertical positionr shown in Fig. A4in a directionv to the right only, being pulled back' tovertical by aspringy 37. e

The carriage 34 has an arm 38 projecting to the right provided with anopeningslidably embracing aI rod or depending bolt 39 provided with anadjustable nut 40V at its f lower end and against which the arm strikesY after the knife has descended and jjustunished cutting the grass, soas to instantly rock the knife to the right and thus exert a quickkicking action on the cut end of the spear andrei ect the tip into oneof the chutes (25 in Fig. 4);- By adjusting the nut 40 lthe amount v ofkick may be determined. Y

Plunger 'rod 36 is actuated by a solenoid or equivalentv magnet V41through means of piv- K otal connection to a bracket 42 pivoted itselfto the magnet base at 43 and preferably pulled back by a spring 44anchored to adjustable base plate 29.

The solenoid circuit 45 is closed by a relay switch 46 in turn actuatedby the closing of fthe grading: finger switch contacts 47, 60 andcircuit 48 connecting main line 49 through relay rmagnete-to mainline50` asV A clearly indicated to anyone skilled in theart. Relay switch 46holds knife circuit 45.i vclosed independent of movements of gradingnger untildescent of knife carries tripping screw 51"downward to strikeend 52 of switch and ,breakthe control circuit,v after which the knifeis instantly raised by action of spring 44. g

The gradingfinger 33 `comprises alightkv wireformed at its lower end toride over* the passing spears of grass and pivotallyy mounted at itsVupper end in a little casing 53 on a shaft 54 running through thecasing e and provided at its forwardv end with a 'sizeindicatingrrpointer 55 which may be set to grade any desired diameter of grass byrefence toza scale 56. v Y Y. Y

The shaft' ofthe finger carries a loose sleeve 57 which may be clampedatA any d'e-A sired pointy of revolution together with thev pointer, onthe shaft by means of a thumb nut 58. The loose sleeve has projectingfrom it a switch trippingearm 5.79 operating againsty pivoted circuitswitch contact through means ofl a lightspringrl tonormally break thecircuit so that when swung back, by the lifting ofthe grader finger 33tothe predetermined height for which ithas been set, arm 59will beswung'to the left,switch member 60 under action of spring 62 will closewith contact V47 lto Ycomplete circuit '48 andy actuate relay. y Y l Y YThe object of mounting the gradingY and cutting. mechanism as a unit onslidable base 29 is to keep all parts in proper relation yet Vprovidefor shifting the 'knife to cut away length of spear desired, that ofeach diameter being independentof the other.; 1 i Y .e

e The object-,of the chairsrisingbetween the rollers of the conveyor isto lift thev grass, and vgive ita firm undersupport while cutting. Thisobject may also be carried outy by other. means, such Yfor instance asthev special chair conveyorshownin Figs. y9 and 10 and wherein theconveyor 63 takes the place of the two intermeshing conveyors previouslydescribed .and carriesspecial chairs 64k provided with overlapping ormortised edges65 sothat as they come upto the horizontal run they willinterlock in their mor- Vtised edges and thus form al continuous conmo iveyor free from possibilityof trappinganyi;

of the asparagus spears between the chairs or buckets y y Y y l Y lHaving thus described ourinvention and its use with'asparagus, it ismanifest that it may be useful with other vegetablesof sion-13e gatedform which it is desired to grade and in a lateral direction uponcutting the spear cut, and therefore the use of the word asso as ltokick away the cut spear.

paragus in the specication and claims is not to be considered aslimiting the inven'- tion or construction claimed in any respect.

`We Claim:

l. ln a machine of the character described, means for passing asparagusspears along a path of travel, and a blade arranged and adapted forsimultaneously cutting said spears to length and ej ecting them fromsaid path of travel.

2. In a machine of the character described,

means for passing asparagus spears alongl alpath of travel, and meansfor simultaneously Grading said spears for size and cutting said spearsto length and ejecting them from said path of travel.

3. ln a machine of the character described, means for passing asparagusspears along a path of travel, a knife arranged to descend and cut thespears as they pass along,

and means for moving the knife to thereby eject the cut spear in alateral direction.

4. A construction as specified in claim 3 plus means for controlling themovements of said knife influenced by the diameter of the spear to becut. Y Y

5. lfn a machine of the character described, means for passing asparagusspears along a path of travel, a knife arrangedto descend and cut thespears as they pass along, electrically operated means for operatingsaid knife and means for Vmoving the knife to thereby eject the cutspear in a lateral direction, a relay switch closing thecircuit of theknife operatingV means, and means for operating the lrelay switchinfluenced by the diameter of the spear to be cut.

6. In a machine of the character described, a conveyor adapted to conveyasparagus spears along a path of travel, a plurality of combinedasparagus grading, cutting and ej ecting units mounted across the top ofthe conveyor and means whereby said units are adjustable transversely of,said conveyor.

7 ln a machine of the character described, an endless conveyor provided4with transversely extending rollers spaced to retain between adjacentrolls a spear of asparagus, a second conveyor provided with devicesadapted to pass between the spaced rolls of the first conveyor duringthe travel of the conveyors, said devices being formed to engage andlift the spears from said rolls, means for grading the spears for sizewhile on said devices, and means for cutting the spears to length andejecting them from said devices. Y

8. In a machine of the character described, means for supporting a spearof asparagus for cutting to length, a guillotine knife ar'- ranged tocut the spear upon descent of the knife, means whereby said knife ismoved SILAS I-I. CHAMPLIN. PARKER A. CUTTER. FERDINAND KASTEN. PAUL C;BUTTE.

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